Therapy Dogs Of Southwestern Ontario: A Paws Worth Considering
Quoting American author Dean Koontz: “Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation, and almost as good for the soul as prayer.”
October 10, 1999 is the date my love affair with dogs began. That is the date Dagny — a three year old, retired racing Greyhound from Wisconsin —became part of my family. In the 23 years since, I have been blessed to have had a total of five Greyhounds become my family members. Four of them have since crossed The Rainbow Bridge, leaving me with Tessie, a beautiful southern grey from Alabama.
I love all dogs, regardless of breed or pedigree, but I absolutely love the Greyhound for its nobility, gentleness, unconditional love, and instinctive therapeutic value. Each of the five dogs has supplied me the greatest “therapy” in tough times of loss or disappointment.
Some of my favourite memories of them are their visits to my mother and other residents of the former Villa Maria Home for the Aged on Riverside Drive West.
Greyhounds are gentle canines, and their height makes them ideal for residents in wheelchairs and beds to pet and cuddle with them.
With these memories on my mind, I thought a perfect topic for my column would be to find a local group that is currently providing comfort and support to the elderly and unwell in our community.
Meet Debbie Loewen who has run Four Wheels Four Paws since December 2013.
Her business offers a wide selection of canine-centred services including boarding, basic and advanced obedience training, in-home pet visitation, daily dog walks, feeding, administering medication, and canine playful activities. And through this business she also operates Therapy Dogs of Southwestern Ontario — just one of many similar volunteer organizations in Windsor Essex.
Henry, a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix therapy dog she has trained, was recently featured on the June 2022 cover of Biz X magazine to represent the Woofa~Roo Pet Fest.
According to Wikipedia, “A therapy dog is a dog that is trained to provide affection, comfort and support to people, often in settings such as hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, libraries, hospices, or disaster areas.”
Loewen trains prospective volunteers and their dogs to become handlers and therapy dogs. She offers a first consultation to decide whether the dog is the right fit. Puppies (10 weeks or older) and adult dogs (two years or older) must then undergo training for temperament testing and PAT (Public Access Training).
“Successful volunteers must be willing to commit to attending one event per month,” Loewen outlines. “Public events like the LaSalle Strawberry Festival, info sessions at Devonshire Mall, etc. are intended to gain exposure to the volunteer work we do.”
She attempts to always keep six volunteers at a time, since they come and go for a variety of reasons (for example, death of the dog, other responsibilities such as work).
Each dog owner is provided a baseball cap or shirt identifying them with Therapy Dogs of Southwestern Ontario. Dogs are outfitted with a vest showing them as a therapy dog.
After an 18 month absence because of the pandemic, Loewen has recently resumed a regular event she has had for years. On the first Monday of every month at 6 p.m., she and her volunteers gather at Amica Riverside, 4909 Riverside Drive East in Windsor. (Learn more on the company website: Amica.ca/riverside)
“At Amica Riverside our residents always look forward to pet therapy, which is offered within the residence once a month by local volunteers,” expresses Rachel Crow, Life Enrichment Coordinator at Amica Riverside. “To see the joy and smiles on their faces when they engage with the dogs is priceless. Pet therapy has many positive benefits for seniors such as reducing stress, depression, anxiety, and loneliness, while increasing mental stimulation and so much more.”
For more information visit: FourWheelsFourPaws.com or their social media page.
